Reid: Tentative deal reached to avoid Senate showdown

Harry Reid says the Senate may have an agreement to avoid a confrontation over the filibuster

Published July 16, 2013 3:57PM (EDT)

The Senate has reportedly reached a tentative deal to avoid a showdown over filibuster rules, following Democrats' threats to employ the "nuclear option" to break filibusters of executive nominations.

"We may have a way forward on this, I feel fairly confident,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday on the Senate floor, the Washington Post reports. Though the deal will not be finalized until later on Tuesday, Reid added that “I think everyone will be happy."

Though there are no details on the deal yet, Roll Call reports that one part of it might be that Republicans will allow Richard Cordray's nomination to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to get a test vote. From Roll Call:

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., however, was attempting to get at least six GOP senators to vote to advance several controversial National Labor Relations Board nominees as well.

A senior Democratic Senate aide said McCain is freelancing outside of GOP leadership in trying to stop his party from leading a filibuster that might prompt Reid to act on his threat to change the Senate filibuster rules by a simple majority vote.

 


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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